Austine Onouha's Jungle Justice is the epitome of the ridiculous Justice System in Nigeria.
Making a mockery of the Nigerian Justice System is a long-standing pastime; Onuoha specifically targets the grassroots representatives of the smug hypocrisy that is the judiciary. It's a performance targeted at the scant elites. This theatrical masterpiece immerses us into a chaotic world of jungle justice from start to finish; every time we are near resolution, it worsens.
The play commences in a courtroom within Onuoha's unvaried set in the Terra Culture Yard; it is a vicious satirical tale written by Femi Branch. Starring Jare Adebayo, Alex Okwuma,Bunmi AWOLOWO, Uche Enechukwu, Daniel Omogunloye and more.
Cue in the Judge, Jare Adebayo, with his phenomenal comedic performance in the court case of potential murder. Ijimere is the accused. His Defense counsel Bunmi Awolowo (Baby Lawyer), seemed very sane but tardy, which resulted in a hilarious joke about disciplinary action. The Senior San (Alex Okwuma) also arrives tardy but is excused by the Judge; this is folly number one…silencing and punishing minorities and excluding the elite.
The derision continues as the first witness, Mallam Sadiq takes the stand; he effortlessly derails the court from the murder trial to dilly dally about his suya recipe and customers' remarks. Amidst the shenanigans, the Senior San submits Mallam Sadiq suya as evidence to the court; he urges the Judge to take a bite to verify Mallam Sadie's claims.
Baby lawyer clamours and censures the Senior San's tactics of blatant bribery and hindrance of Justice. The Judge urges the Clerk to call an order in the court. Soon enough, another chaos brims right after the witness accuses the Ijimere (the accused on trial) of murder as he believes he witnessed the ordeal leading to the murder. Ijimere goes ballistic, and the court is in disarray; the witness and accused start to fight it out, chasing each other back and forth in the courtroom.
The courtroom becomes limpid when the Judge brings out his rifle; by the time he finally calms the court, both counsels and the Clerk are nowhere to be found. In the calm after the storm, the next witness, Fadeke (Ijimere's wife), takes the stand, and because of the accused's lack of decorum, he is soon tied to the podium. Fadeke and the Judge commence a new round of rigmarole and continuously flirt with one another. The Judge's advances enrage Ijimere, while Fadeke is pleased with the attention as, according to her, she was single and ready to mingle.
In Fadeke's statement, she narrates the horrors of her relationship with her husband by coercion tied to pregnancy.
Ijemere frees himself and tries to hit Fadeke; the Judge fuses and tries to punish the accused even before judgement is served, Baby Lawyer pleads for her client, and the Judge asks the Clerk to stuff his mouth. But stupidly, the Clerk frees Ijimere instead, and the absolute chaos begins; The Judge and Ijimere start to fight it out. Unbeknownst to Ijimere, the Judge's rifle is loaded and ready, as is his traditional bulletproof vest loaded with various charms.
By the end of the play, the Judge gives Ijimere a lenient sentence on the condition that he brings Fadeke back to him.
The most notable theme in this burlesque theatre highlights all the ills of how the justice system favours the wealthy or those who can pay the price for their false freedoms. It ridicules the farce that the government put in place as its judicial arm. Overall, the play was a solid 8/10.
